Thirty years ago — 1994

As part of the village of Brocton’s 100th year anniversary, plans are under way to build a gazebo in the village park on Park Street. Mayor Harry Watters said the gazebo project was chosen as it will benefit the entire community as well as serve as a memoir of the village’s centennial. The fundraising goal for the project is $10,000. A ground-breaking was held recently and the project should be completed by late June. It will be similar to the gazebo in the village of Fredonia’s Barker Commons and will be used for events such as band concerts.

Forty years ago — 1984

Ambulatory surgery has been introduced in Chautauqua County at Brooks Hospital in Dunkirk. New York State Health Department approval for the service at Brooks offers patients the opportunity to undergo certain types of surgical procedures, such as knee, hand or wrist surgery, laparoscopy and breast biopsies, returning home within hours after the surgery, without an overnight stay. Less than half the nation’s nearly 7,000 hospitals have ambulatory surgery facilities within the hospitals.

Fifty years ago — 1974

At School 5 in Dunkirk, Dunkirk patrolman Frank Levandoski demonstrated the “talking bicycle,” an instructional instrument used by police agencies in teaching children about bicycle safety.